To link to the entire object, paste this link in email, IM or documentTo embed the entire object, paste this HTML in websiteTo link to this page, paste this link in email, IM or documentTo embed this page, paste this HTML in website

More Page 1: Strength Through Community Service
Awards - Page 2
Spring Clpaning-
Schools, employees chip in to clean up
Poplar - Page 9
National:
Colorado Governor signs Indian history bill
- Page 11
Sports: Dustyn Azure recognized for
leadership - 2nd Section
BULK RATE -U.S. POSTAGE PAID POPLAR, MT 59255
Permit No. 5
50t
Wo tan in Wowapi
April 23. 1998
Poplar, Montana - Fort Peck Reservation
Vol. 29 No. 16
Hiring process for BIA building set
By Bonnie Red Elk Wotanin Editor
The general contractor for the new Fort Peck Agency building hopes to start on the foundation by next week and selected individuals from a list provided by the Tribal Employment Rights Office for a 4-6 person core crew to begin with, according to information provided to the Economic Development Committee meeting this week.
General contractor Fred Tooz, of Dickenson, ND, told the committee that he went through a list of 12 names provided to him by TERO director Denver Atkinson. We picked from that list those with good referrals, he said.
The committee met with Tooz, acting TERO director Fred Bighorn, and the
Tribes' Human Resource Office staff to establish the guidelines that will be used to hire employees for the construction of the new building being built by the Tribes.
Employment process-According to the process worked out, applications for employment for the BIA building construction are available from the TERO and Human Resources Offices in Poplar.
A specific application may need to be completed for some specialized jobs that will be employed with subcontractors of the project. Those applications will be available from the TERO and Human Resource Offices.
Applicants must be aware that if they
are hired, they will be required to complete Form 1-9 and submit two forms of identification to the contractor/subcontract, or: one must be a document that establishes identity, such as a drivers license, tribal ID, state ED, voters registration card, etc.; the second document must establish employment eligibility, such as a social security card, tribal ID, or other document which has a social security number on it.
All applications will be reviewed by the Human Resource Office to categorize an applicant's skills with jobs that will be filled by the general contractor and subcontractors.
Final selection for positions will be
(BIA - Page 12)
For alcohol, drug related arrests
4 hour hold law recommended to TEB
Two weeks ago, a person driving under the influence of alcohol was arrested by the tribal police in Brockton and transported to the adult detention center in Poplar.
Before the arresting officer made it back to Poplar, the person had already bonded out.
This is a real example of the need for the Tribes to hold people arrested for alcohol or drug-related offenses longer, because they can bond right out and threaten whoever turned them in, or get behind the wheel of a vehicle and cause an accident, said Tribal Health director Gary J. Mel-
Shown is Poplar Headstart student Anthony Dwayne Duncan enjoying his popsicle and his rest during the Poplar Clean-Up Day on April 22nd. More photos on page 10.
bourne.
"Something's got to be done, we've got to raise the consciousness of the board and the community," said Melbourne.
�There was one fatality on U.S. #2 that resulted in a $250,000 bill for Indian Health Service;
�Eight of 10 cases in Tribal Court are alcohol related;
�On the Indian highway between Poplar and Brockton, there have been 9 fatalities since 1992.
These were examples cited by Melbourne on the need for the Tribes to take ahold of alcohol and drug-related incidents that are costly to the Tribes in money and lives.
Melbourne also called for reactivation of "blue laws" which put tighter regulation on whan a bar could open up for service.
Councilman Leland Spotted Bird, who lives in Brockton, said the responsibility to im-plment tougher laws is up to the TEB.
In response, the committee voted to refer the 4-hour holding issue to the tribal attorneys to develop the pros and cons of it, and procedures to be used.
What can we do in the meantime, asked Melbourne, an active member of the DUI Task Force, which is made up of representatives of the police departments on the reservation.
The committee again responded, and voted to adopt a process that those picked up for alcohol-related or chemically-related offenses be held in the tribal jail for 4 hours before they are eligible for bond. The recommendation has to pass the full TEB yet, and their next meeting is
Monday, April 27.
The lone opponent was councilman John Morales, who said he would be opposed until he saw the attorneys opinion. "People have civil rights and we can't make unreasonable laws."
Need for district police
Melbourne also brought up that the district police officer position in Brockton is vacant and it takes up to 35 minutes for a police officer to respond to calls from Brockton.
A lot of people can get hurt in the process, he said.
There are 4 police openings that have been advertised. The committee voted to set a May 15 deadline for interested people to apply before selections are made for 3 of the positions.
A resolution was previously passed by the TEB that directed law enforcement to place 3 officers in the outlying districts, said committee chairman Robert Welch, who recommended that Public Safety director Abe Greybear be directed to carry out die council directive. "It needs to be done, or someone will be charged with insubordination. They are all on probation yet."
Melbourne also encouraged the Tribes to come together with other law enforcement who have jurisdiction on the reservation, such as the Montana Highway Patrol. "It's important to come together for the protection of our people," he said.
He said he wanted to meet with the State Coordinator of Indian Affairs, Wyman McDonald, to come up with a planning document on this whole issue of cross-deputiza-tion.
Fred Tooz, of Tooz Const., general contractor for new Fort Peck Agency building, and acting Tribal Employment Rights Office director Fred Bighorn meet with tribal committee on hiring process this week.
Petition for Poplar Hospital continues
To date, 925 people signed petitions concerning dissolution of the Poplar-Wolf Point hospital merger.
If you haven't signed and wish to do so, there are petitions at Sunrise Lumber, TJ's Quik Stop, Prime Time Video, Tribal Express, Beck's Sporting Goods, Trader's State Bank and Tande's Grocery.
The petitions says: "We the undersigned do not want Poplar Community Hospital and Nursing Home to be a part of the Northeast Montana Health Service, Inc. and recommend dissolutionment of the merger."
Pteitions should be dropped off at TJ's by Saturday, April 25.
Bauer to fill 1 police spot
Acting Criminal Investigator Bruce Bauer will be a uniformed police officer on June 1 and will investigate and take to tribal court those cases that are not accepted in federal court, according to action taken by the Tribal Executive Board's Law & Justice Committee this week.
Public Safety director Abe Grey Bear said Bauer's contract as a CI ends May 30, and Bauer's supervisor Robert War Club recommended the move to a police position and new duties; Grey Bear said he was in agreement after reviewing Bauer's work.
While working with the CI Division, Bauer told the committee that he often went on patrol with the officers in the evenings, and wouldn't mind doing it again.
The committee has the authority to fill positions in the Dept. of Law & Justice, and Bauer's new duties and position doesn't have to be approved by the TEB.
Selections for the 3 vacancies will be made a week or so
after the May 15 cutoff date.
Committee chairman Robert Welch said a protest was lodged by one of the applicants for the police positions that they were required to take a physical efficiency battery test, while current officers did not have to.
Grey Bear responded that the test was given to all current officers last week.
Around 6 or so of the officers failed the 1 1/2 mile run, but they will be allowed to retake it in a month.
The test also included an agility run, which is a short distance run around obstacles; flexibility test; and to bench press weights.
Harrassment of employee intolerable
The Fort Peck Tribes will not condone harrassment of its employees at their workplace and homes - that message needs to be put out to the people, said the Tribal Executive Board's Law & Justice Committee chairman Robert Welch.
The committee this week heard two complaints of harrassment in the workplace from two different tribal employees.
Crisis Center director Patty Mc Jeshick said a person who is angry and feels that the staff at the Center is responsible for_
his problems has been continually coming to their work site and homes, and they are starting to feel threatened by the statements he makes. When the police are called and respond, he is already gone, she told the committee.
We have kids and women in there for services, and then they're threatened when these people come in, said McGe-shick, who also said as director, she feels singled out.
The Center is housed in the same building as the Fort Peck Agency Social Services branch office, Wolf Point Tri-
bal Courts, and Veterans Affairs. Welch suggested that the programs pool their funds to hire a security person to help deter such incidents, and that they work with Public Safety director Abe Greybear for the police to make periodic stops there.
Tribal Health director Gary J. Melbourne told the committee that he was threatened by another tribal employee over the Tribes' drug testing, which Tribal Health administers.
(Harrass - Page 12)
FPCC burgler to remain jailed
A 31-year-old Poplar man who went to Canada instead of making a federal court appearance on a charge of burglarizing Fort Peck Community College will have to remain in jail until his trial in Billings.
U.S. Magistrate Richard Anderson determined Tuesday that Richard Melbourne presents too much of a flight risk to grant pre-trial release, which would ordinarily apply to a non-violent property crime. Defense attorney Tim Cavan argued unsuccessfully that Melbourne was unlikely to flee the jurisdiction of the
court because his parents and his child live in Poplar and because, even if Melbourne is convicted of the crime, he won't be facing much of a sentence.
Anderson said the potential penalty couldn't be considered in determining whether the defendant is a flight risk.
The magistrate said that by his own conduct, Melbourne demonstrated that he could not be counted on to make future court dates. Although he received a summons to appeal in court on the burglary charge. Melbourne decided instead to
go to Canada, the judge said. He was arrested when he returned to Montana to attend a funeral.
"Nothing about his appearance today was voluntary," Anderson said.
Melbourne was charged a-long with Kevin Devereaux in the Feb. 1 burglary at the tribal college. Devereaux is also in jail and facing more serious penalties, if convicted, because of a long criminal history.
(Reprinted from the Billings Gazette)

More Page 1: Strength Through Community Service
Awards - Page 2
Spring Clpaning-
Schools, employees chip in to clean up
Poplar - Page 9
National:
Colorado Governor signs Indian history bill
- Page 11
Sports: Dustyn Azure recognized for
leadership - 2nd Section
BULK RATE -U.S. POSTAGE PAID POPLAR, MT 59255
Permit No. 5
50t
Wo tan in Wowapi
April 23. 1998
Poplar, Montana - Fort Peck Reservation
Vol. 29 No. 16
Hiring process for BIA building set
By Bonnie Red Elk Wotanin Editor
The general contractor for the new Fort Peck Agency building hopes to start on the foundation by next week and selected individuals from a list provided by the Tribal Employment Rights Office for a 4-6 person core crew to begin with, according to information provided to the Economic Development Committee meeting this week.
General contractor Fred Tooz, of Dickenson, ND, told the committee that he went through a list of 12 names provided to him by TERO director Denver Atkinson. We picked from that list those with good referrals, he said.
The committee met with Tooz, acting TERO director Fred Bighorn, and the
Tribes' Human Resource Office staff to establish the guidelines that will be used to hire employees for the construction of the new building being built by the Tribes.
Employment process-According to the process worked out, applications for employment for the BIA building construction are available from the TERO and Human Resources Offices in Poplar.
A specific application may need to be completed for some specialized jobs that will be employed with subcontractors of the project. Those applications will be available from the TERO and Human Resource Offices.
Applicants must be aware that if they
are hired, they will be required to complete Form 1-9 and submit two forms of identification to the contractor/subcontract, or: one must be a document that establishes identity, such as a drivers license, tribal ID, state ED, voters registration card, etc.; the second document must establish employment eligibility, such as a social security card, tribal ID, or other document which has a social security number on it.
All applications will be reviewed by the Human Resource Office to categorize an applicant's skills with jobs that will be filled by the general contractor and subcontractors.
Final selection for positions will be
(BIA - Page 12)
For alcohol, drug related arrests
4 hour hold law recommended to TEB
Two weeks ago, a person driving under the influence of alcohol was arrested by the tribal police in Brockton and transported to the adult detention center in Poplar.
Before the arresting officer made it back to Poplar, the person had already bonded out.
This is a real example of the need for the Tribes to hold people arrested for alcohol or drug-related offenses longer, because they can bond right out and threaten whoever turned them in, or get behind the wheel of a vehicle and cause an accident, said Tribal Health director Gary J. Mel-
Shown is Poplar Headstart student Anthony Dwayne Duncan enjoying his popsicle and his rest during the Poplar Clean-Up Day on April 22nd. More photos on page 10.
bourne.
"Something's got to be done, we've got to raise the consciousness of the board and the community" said Melbourne.
�There was one fatality on U.S. #2 that resulted in a $250,000 bill for Indian Health Service;
�Eight of 10 cases in Tribal Court are alcohol related;
�On the Indian highway between Poplar and Brockton, there have been 9 fatalities since 1992.
These were examples cited by Melbourne on the need for the Tribes to take ahold of alcohol and drug-related incidents that are costly to the Tribes in money and lives.
Melbourne also called for reactivation of "blue laws" which put tighter regulation on whan a bar could open up for service.
Councilman Leland Spotted Bird, who lives in Brockton, said the responsibility to im-plment tougher laws is up to the TEB.
In response, the committee voted to refer the 4-hour holding issue to the tribal attorneys to develop the pros and cons of it, and procedures to be used.
What can we do in the meantime, asked Melbourne, an active member of the DUI Task Force, which is made up of representatives of the police departments on the reservation.
The committee again responded, and voted to adopt a process that those picked up for alcohol-related or chemically-related offenses be held in the tribal jail for 4 hours before they are eligible for bond. The recommendation has to pass the full TEB yet, and their next meeting is
Monday, April 27.
The lone opponent was councilman John Morales, who said he would be opposed until he saw the attorneys opinion. "People have civil rights and we can't make unreasonable laws."
Need for district police
Melbourne also brought up that the district police officer position in Brockton is vacant and it takes up to 35 minutes for a police officer to respond to calls from Brockton.
A lot of people can get hurt in the process, he said.
There are 4 police openings that have been advertised. The committee voted to set a May 15 deadline for interested people to apply before selections are made for 3 of the positions.
A resolution was previously passed by the TEB that directed law enforcement to place 3 officers in the outlying districts, said committee chairman Robert Welch, who recommended that Public Safety director Abe Greybear be directed to carry out die council directive. "It needs to be done, or someone will be charged with insubordination. They are all on probation yet."
Melbourne also encouraged the Tribes to come together with other law enforcement who have jurisdiction on the reservation, such as the Montana Highway Patrol. "It's important to come together for the protection of our people" he said.
He said he wanted to meet with the State Coordinator of Indian Affairs, Wyman McDonald, to come up with a planning document on this whole issue of cross-deputiza-tion.
Fred Tooz, of Tooz Const., general contractor for new Fort Peck Agency building, and acting Tribal Employment Rights Office director Fred Bighorn meet with tribal committee on hiring process this week.
Petition for Poplar Hospital continues
To date, 925 people signed petitions concerning dissolution of the Poplar-Wolf Point hospital merger.
If you haven't signed and wish to do so, there are petitions at Sunrise Lumber, TJ's Quik Stop, Prime Time Video, Tribal Express, Beck's Sporting Goods, Trader's State Bank and Tande's Grocery.
The petitions says: "We the undersigned do not want Poplar Community Hospital and Nursing Home to be a part of the Northeast Montana Health Service, Inc. and recommend dissolutionment of the merger."
Pteitions should be dropped off at TJ's by Saturday, April 25.
Bauer to fill 1 police spot
Acting Criminal Investigator Bruce Bauer will be a uniformed police officer on June 1 and will investigate and take to tribal court those cases that are not accepted in federal court, according to action taken by the Tribal Executive Board's Law & Justice Committee this week.
Public Safety director Abe Grey Bear said Bauer's contract as a CI ends May 30, and Bauer's supervisor Robert War Club recommended the move to a police position and new duties; Grey Bear said he was in agreement after reviewing Bauer's work.
While working with the CI Division, Bauer told the committee that he often went on patrol with the officers in the evenings, and wouldn't mind doing it again.
The committee has the authority to fill positions in the Dept. of Law & Justice, and Bauer's new duties and position doesn't have to be approved by the TEB.
Selections for the 3 vacancies will be made a week or so
after the May 15 cutoff date.
Committee chairman Robert Welch said a protest was lodged by one of the applicants for the police positions that they were required to take a physical efficiency battery test, while current officers did not have to.
Grey Bear responded that the test was given to all current officers last week.
Around 6 or so of the officers failed the 1 1/2 mile run, but they will be allowed to retake it in a month.
The test also included an agility run, which is a short distance run around obstacles; flexibility test; and to bench press weights.
Harrassment of employee intolerable
The Fort Peck Tribes will not condone harrassment of its employees at their workplace and homes - that message needs to be put out to the people, said the Tribal Executive Board's Law & Justice Committee chairman Robert Welch.
The committee this week heard two complaints of harrassment in the workplace from two different tribal employees.
Crisis Center director Patty Mc Jeshick said a person who is angry and feels that the staff at the Center is responsible for_
his problems has been continually coming to their work site and homes, and they are starting to feel threatened by the statements he makes. When the police are called and respond, he is already gone, she told the committee.
We have kids and women in there for services, and then they're threatened when these people come in, said McGe-shick, who also said as director, she feels singled out.
The Center is housed in the same building as the Fort Peck Agency Social Services branch office, Wolf Point Tri-
bal Courts, and Veterans Affairs. Welch suggested that the programs pool their funds to hire a security person to help deter such incidents, and that they work with Public Safety director Abe Greybear for the police to make periodic stops there.
Tribal Health director Gary J. Melbourne told the committee that he was threatened by another tribal employee over the Tribes' drug testing, which Tribal Health administers.
(Harrass - Page 12)
FPCC burgler to remain jailed
A 31-year-old Poplar man who went to Canada instead of making a federal court appearance on a charge of burglarizing Fort Peck Community College will have to remain in jail until his trial in Billings.
U.S. Magistrate Richard Anderson determined Tuesday that Richard Melbourne presents too much of a flight risk to grant pre-trial release, which would ordinarily apply to a non-violent property crime. Defense attorney Tim Cavan argued unsuccessfully that Melbourne was unlikely to flee the jurisdiction of the
court because his parents and his child live in Poplar and because, even if Melbourne is convicted of the crime, he won't be facing much of a sentence.
Anderson said the potential penalty couldn't be considered in determining whether the defendant is a flight risk.
The magistrate said that by his own conduct, Melbourne demonstrated that he could not be counted on to make future court dates. Although he received a summons to appeal in court on the burglary charge. Melbourne decided instead to
go to Canada, the judge said. He was arrested when he returned to Montana to attend a funeral.
"Nothing about his appearance today was voluntary" Anderson said.
Melbourne was charged a-long with Kevin Devereaux in the Feb. 1 burglary at the tribal college. Devereaux is also in jail and facing more serious penalties, if convicted, because of a long criminal history.
(Reprinted from the Billings Gazette)